Candace Cameron Bure: How Fuller House brings the Tanners into the 21st century

Carrie Nelson is a writer and filmmaker based in NYC. Her bylines appear on websites including The Daily Dot, New York Observer, Bitch Media, and The New Civil Rights Movement, and she was a founding editor of the global feminist blog Ge...

Candace Cameron Bure spills on what you'll see on Fuller House, from exotic animals to social media

Fuller House doesn't premiere until Feb. 26 — still over a week away! — but we've got the inside scoop from D.J. Tanner-Fuller herself. In a recent interview with SheKnows, Candace Cameron Bure revealed that one of the highlights of revisiting this character after 20 years is the discovery that she and D.J. have a lot in common.

"There’s a lot of me in [D.J.]," Bure told SheKnows. It's no accident, either — the Fuller House writing team specifically sought stories and motherhood lessons from Bure and her costars, Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie) and Andrea Barber (Kimmy), when crafting the story lines.

"When we were first talking about developing the characters into who they are today, a lot of things are taken from each of our personal lives," Bure continued. "We’ve talked about personal stories and things that happened with our own kids or within our own families and gave those stories to the writers. We definitely have influenced the show a lot from our own personal lives, which is really fun. There’s more authenticity that way as well, because we are all moms. It makes for a much more real dynamic and storytelling."

Bure couldn't reveal many of the specifics of what's to come on Fuller House, so fans will have to tune in to see which aspects of her own parenting style are integrated into D.J.'s. She did, however, share that one similarity is that "D.J. is certainly the most strait-laced in her parenting" — might she be monitoring Facebook usage, perhaps?

Most likely, actually. Technology is going to be a key theme in Fuller House, distinguishing it from the pre-Internet world of the original Full House. "If D.J. was saving up money to get her first landline, today the kids have cell phones and are using social media," Bure explained. "And kids are exposed to a lot more today at younger ages than when I was a kid. So those are the types of topics that we’re dealing with now [on Fuller House]."

Image: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Banfield Pet Hospital

The commonalities don't end at parenting styles, however. Both Bure and her onscreen alter ego feel a deep affinity toward animals, and she was thrilled when she learned that D.J. would be working as a veterinarian on Fuller House.

"I’m such an animal lover — we actually all are, on the show — and animals were such a big part of the original show," she told SheKnows. "So this was a perfect way to have fun with animals on set."

Bure's passion for animals has turned into advocacy as of late. Recently, she entered into a partnership with New York's Banfield Pet Hospital, and she is working to spread awareness about pet dental hygiene.

"There are very easy things that you can do to take care of your dog’s teeth at home, like brushing them and giving them treats and making sure that you schedule your dog’s dental visits twice a year," Bure shared. She added that Banfield's new scratch-and-sniff book, My Very, Very Smelly Breath, is one great way for parents to engage their children in learning about pet dental health.

Image: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Banfield Pet Hospital

Bure also had the opportunity to visit Banfield recently as an honorary veterinarian. "I think what I’ve learned is that it’s really easy," she added. "You just flip open the lid of your pet’s mouth and brush for a few seconds. But that in itself can help so much, so when they go to their teeth cleanings, they don’t have gum disease. We’ve always tried to teach our kids, and they’ve always been very helpful with our animals over the years."

Like Bure's friends at Banfield, Dr. D.J. will primarily be working with dogs, cats and other household pets on Fuller House. But she teased that there might be some surprises to come during the scenes set in D.J.'s office.

"We’ve been able to work with some really fun animals," Bure hinted. "We certainly have your typical household pets, like dogs and cats, but we have some exotic animals on the show as well."

Between their parenting styles and their commitment to animals, it's clear that D.J.'s development has been influenced significantly by the woman Bure is today. But, to be clear, however, the two are not one and the same. And their biggest difference, according to Bure? The fact that D.J. is a single mom.

"She’s a very strong woman trying to raise these three kids on her own," said Bure. "Personally, at home, I have such a supportive and wonderful husband. I couldn’t do my life without him, because of my schedule and my traveling and my work. He’s so hands-on with our kids."

Can't wait to see what D.J. Tanner-Fuller is like as an adult? Tune into Fuller House when it premieres on Netflix next Friday, Feb. 26!